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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 1997)
4 ▼ au gu st 15, 1 9 9 7 T ju st ou t You've found the perfect house... ...is there anythin; you've overlooked? Don’t let today's dream become tomorrow's nightmare. Call an expert. You’ll sleep better tonight! Pest and Dry Rot t Whole House Inspections Department of Agriculture CP0 #140492 Oregon State CCD #110468 I I I I I I I I I Landmark Home Inspection I Tim A-tklneon I RO. Box 4-701 I Portland, Oregon 97200 (503) 310-1244- Volca I (503) 230-4099 Fax I J Harcelle W Productions presents 16 th Annual La J ‘ emme Magnifique “Passport to tlic World” International Tag cant A pageant to ch o o se th e m o s t glam orou s fem ale im p erson ator in th e w orld. Sunday, A ug. 3 1 , 1 9 9 7 Doors at 7 pm—Pageant at H pm—#420.00 M on tgom ery P a rk 2701 NW Vaughn, Portland, Oregon For tick e ts call ( 5 0 » ) 2 2 2 -5 & I 8 world briefs A R G E N T IN A The Roman Catholic Church has lashed out at gay men after the Argentine teachers union granted health care benefits to the partner o f the country’ s only openly gay teacher. In a press release authored by National Bish ops Conference official Rafael Nolasco, the church said teachers known to be gay should be fired, and claimed there is “ scien tific p r o o f ’ that gay people can turn straight through psychology and spiritual guidance. Gay teacher Rafael Freda and his partner, Eduardo Vazquez, were recognized as spouses by the teachers union sev eral weeks ago. „ . , „ , Shortly thereafter, the a^ae re government extended pension rights to the part ners o f deceased gay men and lesbians, and the flight attendants union began offering benefits to gay and lesbian em ployees’ domestic partners. B R IT A IN British Airways refuses to em ploy people with HIV as pilots or flight attendants, reports the AIDS magazine Positive Nation. The publication located three people who were denied jobs with the company solely because o f their HIV status. An airline spokesman said the policy was put in place because some countries— including the United States— deny entry to HIV-positive for eigners, and because people with HIV are not supposed to take certain vaccines that are neces sary for travel to Third W orld countries (such as the vaccine for yellow fever). Virgin Atlantic Airlines, on the other hand, welcomes applicants with HIV for pilot and flight- attendant positions, Positive Nation said. ▼ ▼ ▼ British transsexuals won the right July 15 to sue employers for harassment and discrimination prompted by sex-reassignment surgery. The Employment Appeal Tribunal said such bias violates the Sex Discrimination Act. CANADA By a vote o f 59-9, the British Columbia L eg islature on July 22 changed the definition o f “ spouse” in the Family Relations Act to include same-sex partners. The legislation was aimed at recognizing same- gender unions in matters o f child custody, access and support. But the effects may be more wide-ranging, giving gay and lesbian couples many o f the same rights as com m on-law heterosexual couples. That sits well with provincial Attorney Gen eral Ujjal Dosanjh. He’ s in the midst o f reviewing every British C olu m bia law that m entions “ spouse” in hopes o f m odifying the laws to in clude same-sex couples. EL SA L V A D O R An estimated 200 people marched through San Salvador in June to celebrate Gay Pride. The event was organized by Entre Am igos (Between Friends). A transvestite dance show follow ed in a central plaza. Comfortable & Affordable Furniture  H O M E B O D I E S 2226 NE Broadway (503)287-9450 IN T E R N A T IO N A L Despite financial woes, the International Les bian and Gay Association is planning to hold its next world conference, slated for 1999, in South Africa. At IL G A ’ s recent conference in Cologne, Germany, it was revealed the group is so broke that it will no longer have a paid em ployee and may have to scale back publication o f the I LG A gion o f the world— also say they have no idea where the money will com e from to fly them selves to the next board meeting in December in Lima, Peru. During the Germany conference, Jordi Petit o f Spain was re-elected ILGA co-chair, joined by newcomer Jennifer W ilson o f Australia. JA PA N Japan’ s Health and Welfare Ministry fired the chair o f a government AIDS panel, Dr. Akira Nakajima, after he said, “ From the taxpayers’ point o f view, using public money for AIDS treatment is like throwing money into the gar bage.” Several persons with AIDS were in atten dance at the meeting where Nakajima spoke. "AID S treatment is extremely expensive,” he said. “ It’ s your own responsibility to stop further increases.” KAZAKH STAN The Kazakhstan gay and AIDS group Kontrast is seeking help from abroad in the form o f news papers, magazines, books, videos, money, medi cine, vitamins, disposable syringes and condoms. In addition to AIDS work, the group is fight ing to overturn a measure that bans gay sex. It also operates Kazakhstan’ s only gay library. “ [Because] we also work with gays and help them, [the] militia and Security Service threaten us and [try to] prevent our activity,” said the group’ s president, Ivan Shibitov. Write Kontrast at PO Box 108, Almaty 480096, Kazakhstan. Another gay group seeking foreign contact is Different from Others, headed by Nick Zapopadko. Its address is PO Box 48, Almaty 480070, Kazakhstan. SAN M A R IN O On July 9, the San Marino Parliament voted 28-21 to repeal a law that banned “ libidinous acts with persons o f the same sex” under penalty o f one year in jail. San Marino is located in the mountains near Italy’ s northern Adriatic coast. S W IT Z E R L A N D Swiss banks and companies are giving $12 million to 60,000 needy Eastern European vic tims o f the Nazis, including gay men and lesbians. The institutions eventually will hand out $ 190 million in compensation for having kept Nazi victim s’ money and profited from Nazi looting. S om e Jew ish grou p s cla im the amount ow ed, with interest, is closer to $7 billion. Nazi victims who are poor and have not received other H olo caust compensation are eligible to apply for the funds. Gay victims can receive assistance from Beat Wagner at the Swiss gay group Pink Cross. He can be reached by phone at 011-41-1-262-4184, or by e-mail (bwagner@sgtagblatt.ch). TURKEY Turkish transsexual leader Demet Demir is out o f jail after yet another run-in with local police. Demir, a winner o f this year’ s International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission award for outstanding contributions to the m ove ment. was taken into custody by Istanbul police July 12 as she tried to stop them from beating another transsexual. Police said they were beating the woman because she was Kurdish. Demet has filed suit over the arrest. Bulletin. Board members— who com e from every re Compiled by Rex Wockner